In audiobook narration I have recently made some new contacts in the industry, and have submitted demos and my desire to work with new clients in audio. I’ve also been regularly submitting auditions for new titles. At the same time I have begun upgrading my studio so my work processes are simpler and easier. This includes outfitting my Studiobricks booth with the equipment to do punch and roll recording, a timesaver that many professional narrators now use in their home studios.

On the writing front, work on my first as yet untitled science fiction novel for The Ed Greenwood Group continues. The deadline for the novel is fast approaching, but never fear, I’m confident that I am on schedule. The novel will almost definitely continue into a series within TEGG’s The Great Galactic Game setting. I am also working on other writing, including two short stories which have both been sent in to the publisher and now have been returned to me with requests for revision. Both of those should also see the light of day through TEGG in the future. My latest short story leans toward mythic fantasy, and has received praise so far from readers. I’m looking forward to unleashing it on the world.

I’m enjoying summer immensely so far, and work continues apace. What more could a creative ask?

I’ve been a fan of science fiction and fantasy for a very long time now. My first experience with Philip K. Dick was the movie Bladerunner sometime in my teen years. I soon after hunted down a copy of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? the novel on which the movie was based. It was incredible, timeless, classic science fiction.

When I was offered a project narrating some of Mr. Dick’s early short stories (including some that have never been in audio before), I jumped at the chance. Listen2aBook, publisher of Seven Tales, was a wonderful and understanding partner during the project.

Seven Tales is an anthology of short stories written by Mr. Dick early in his career and published in the pulp science fiction magazines of the 1950’s.

Recording these stories was a fantastic experience, and taught me a lot about my limits as an audiobook narrator and editor. I was also fortunate to have the cover art designed by Sean Hollenhors. It is a portrait drawn of Philip K. Dick in his youth, modeled on a photo of him from approximately the same time period that these stories were written. Sean designed the cover with a font that was often used on pulp magazine covers of the time, further enhancing the image. It’s unique and really stands out, and gives off that Twilight Zone vibe. I quite like it.

Anyhow, if you enjoy stories of classic science fiction, tales of time travel, robots, rockets, with a dose of philosophical thought and future predictions, you’ll enjoy listening to this one.

I have recently completed writing the short story that leads into the first novel in my science fiction series. Look for more information on that soon.

Writing for the as-yet untitled first novel of my new science fiction series continues apace; the series will be a trilogy set in The Ed Greenwood Group’s The Great Galactic Game setting. For more information on this setting and others produced by TEGG, check out the official website, Onder Librum.

I am in talks to do audio work with two different companies. TBA.

Thanks everybody who has come on board, I look forward to creating and narrating a great many stories for you!

One of the most exciting projects in modern publishing is really starting to pick up steam!

The Ed Greenwood Group, made up of Ed, the Archmage himself, and his ‘sessorium of creatives’ — individuals he has selected to be involved in a myriad of creative projects — is currently creating everything from fantastic stories to works of art, games to audiobooks, and apparel to magazines.

Just recently TEGG has launched its official website, Onder Librum. The new website includes information on upcoming TEGG releases, including information about the 15 settings in which TEGG works will take place, and Onder Magazine, a new monthly periodical on all things TEGG. You can sign up to become a member of the website and receive special discounts and information. If you like urban fantasy, space opera, steam punk, horror, spy thrillers, and / or epic fantasy, Onder Librum will have a story for you.

And as you can imagine, I’m looking forward to sharing my written and audio work in Hellmaw, The Great Galactic Game, and other settings with you!

Check back here from time to time, and while you’re waiting to see my new work, head over to Onder Librum and check out all the awesome material (including the amazing settings), the benefits of Onder membership, and the first five novels published for the Hellmaw setting!

First, I’m excited to have my Studiobricks One voiceover booth up and running, with everything installed. I’m looking forward to putting new audiobook narration projects on my schedule!

Second, I’m excited to announce that I am no longer writing a single novel for The Ed Greenwood Group’s The Great Galactic Game science fantasy setting, but I am in fact writing three novels! A trilogy! More information on that to come.

So you see gentle readers, things are looking up! Huzzah! Hope you’re having as much fun as I am.

All the best,

Bryan Smart

]]>On Becoming An Audiobook Narratorhttp://bryan-smart.com/2015/11/01/on-becoming-an-audiobook-narrator/
Sun, 01 Nov 2015 00:27:32 +0000http://bryan-smart.com/?p=158I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I became an audiobook narrator. Audiobook narration is, at its heart, a task that requires a creative performer with a love of storytelling. I think just about any audiobook narrator will tell you that getting where they are takes time, talent, training, and money.

I’ve always loved stories. When I was young, I remember my parents reading stories to me. My father, in particular, was adept at creating character voices and telling stories to me out loud. In time, I read books to myself, and the stories I read seemed to come alive in my head. The characters each had their own voices, their own motivations. I loved reading. I loved story. That’s where it started for me.

In high school I had an English teacher who read Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations aloud to the class. But his reading wasn’t in some boring monotone. No sir. He voiced the characters. I remember Pip, the protagonist, as a sort of shy boy who was swept up in things he (at first) couldn’t understand. The convict was gruff, scary, and seemed to have the threat of violence against Pip dripping from his every word. Miss Havisham was old, wicked, and downright disturbing. Her witchy voice haunts me still. This was true storytelling. It was what I did in my head every time I read a story. It was acting, but with the reader as the voice of every character, every member of the acting troupe. I remember thinking that this was storytelling at its finest — a combination of a great voice, a great actor, and a great story written by a great author. It was thrilling.

Many years later I became a high school English teacher myself, and I tried to bring this love of story, this ability to make characters live out loud, to my students. It was during this time that my wife read an article about audiobook narrators. There were actor-storytellers out there that read to even wider audiences! How could I become one of them?

I started looking for resources online, for knowledge that would lead to my goal of becoming a published audiobook narrator. I found some online forums and groups, podcasts, and other information about the world of narration and voice-over. My wife and I decided to start purchasing what I would need to create an in-home studio. Most professional recorded voice work is done by the voice-over artist in a home studio that was built over the course of months, years, and decades. At a minimum, I knew I would need great recording software, a computer workstation, an audio interface, and a great microphone. In some ways, creating my home studio is a continual process that I have been working on ever since. I’ll be adding a new piece to my home studio this month — a professional vocal booth. Then I may look at getting a new microphone, some new software for audio editing, and… you get the idea.

As I got my first home studio together, I realized there was a lot I didn’t know. I needed a mentor, or maybe more than one. My wife found a website where professional audiobook narrators were offering workshops. Though I would have to travel to L.A. and pay for airfare, accommodations, and the workshop itself (with audiobook narration superstar mentors Pat Fraley, Scott Brick, and Hillary Huber), we decided the expenditure would be worth it. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn the ropes from seasoned pros.

And the workshop was fantastic. My readings were great, and I was complimented (there was a general positive vibe from everyone) by the mentor narrators. I learned valuable things while recording as well as while listening to my fellow narrators record. I learned where my strengths were as a narrator, and what I still had to work on. I learned that my voice was a great fit for contemporary fiction, but other genres of work were open to me as well. I learned about acting the emotions that the words evoked on the page, how to separate multiple character voices, and the ins and outs of the business of audiobooks. I was able to come away from the workshop energized, enlightened, and with a confidence I had never known. I could do this. I had the necessary skills. I had a wonderful demo recorded. It would be hard work, but more than worth it. I loved recording stories and wanted to do more.

Not long after that I secured a contract to record my first audiobook with University Press Audiobooks. A second soon followed. As with most independent voice-actors and audiobook narrators, my career is a work in progress, and I am always looking for new clients and new studios to work with. Please contact me if you have any questions, or are looking for an audiobook narrator or voice actor. I love being a professional storyteller. Thanks for stopping by. Please check out my demo while you’re here. I hope you enjoy a good story — I’ve got several to tell now.

]]>The Ed Greenwood Group (TEGG) and Mehttp://bryan-smart.com/2015/10/03/the-ed-greenwood-group-tegg-and-me/
http://bryan-smart.com/2015/10/03/the-ed-greenwood-group-tegg-and-me/#commentsSat, 03 Oct 2015 01:59:19 +0000http://bryan-smart.com/?p=149I’ve always wanted to write science fiction and fantasy stories. Very early in my life my grandfather let me borrow his beautiful gold-embossed copy of The Hobbit. It was a book that would have a large impact on me. Not because it was beautiful, though it was, but because the story spoke to me in a way no other story had. I remember carefully paging through the gold-embossed pages, with the wonderful original illustrations drawn by Tolkien himself printed inside.

Though the beauty of the book left an impression, most of all I remember being enraptured by the story of a comfortable and cowardly hobbit that becomes a courageous adventurer and force for good. I remember the riddles, and the magic ring. I remember the interview with the dragon. There were some complexities in The Hobbit that I probably didn’t understand at the time, but as long as I am living, the memories of that book will hold a dear place in my heart.

As I grew older I began to branch out in my reading, but fantasy always pulled me back in somehow. I checked out Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain from my elementary school library, and read each volume in the series voraciously. Then in 4th grade, having moved to a new school, I went out onto the playground and made some new friends who were playing a peculiar game with books and paper and dice. Dungeons and Dragons.

Dungeons and Dragons was a game that allowed my creativity to run wild in a realm of fantasy like the books I loved. It was full of adventure and whimsy, of fair maidens and honorable knights. Of powerful wizards, some benevolent, and others evil. I loved playing, but I loved being the dungeon master (or storyteller) of the game even more. Adventure, friends, and fun were the true treasure of my time spent playing D&D, a game that I still play today.

I soon discovered that novels had been published by TSR, Inc., the same company that published Dungeons and Dragons. Reading these novels, to me, was like stepping into others’ D&D games — they made me feel like I had joined a family of D&D players that was bigger than my own small game. And, in a way, I had. New York Times Bestselling Author Ed Greenwood, the creator of The Forgotten Realms setting for the Dungeons and Dragons game, was one of several authors that published D&D fantasy novels I loved, and I’ve continued to read Ed’s work off and on throughout the years.

And now it seems that things have come full circle. I am proud to announce today that I have joined The Ed Greenwood Group, and am an official member of Ed Greenwood’s Sessorium of Creatives. What exactly does that mean? It means I will be working with Mr. Greenwood and his associates in his new publishing group. This will include publishing work with TEGG as an author, as well as other creative work. I am both excited and grateful to have a role in this wonderful endeavor. I cannot yet reveal the extent of my work for The Ed Greenwood Group (TEGG), but rest assured that all will be revealed soon.

In the meantime, I am working on several projects and eagerly awaiting October 19, 2015, when Ed will be revealing his plans to the public. The work I am doing will be revealed soon as well. I can’t wait to share it with you!

First I’d like to thank Jim Wampler of Mudpuppy Multimedia for putting together this fantastic site! I tried putting together something on my own, but had to cry uncle after a week or so. By contrast, Jim and his team did a great job here. The website does a great job showcasing me and my work. Not only does it look great, but the functionality and availability of so many features is fantastic. Kudos Jim!

Thanks for visiting my site today. Take a look around. I’ll be using the site as my online presence, updating the blog frequently, and keeping you notified of both my currently published and up and coming work. Thanks again for visiting and have a great day!